By Jim McCausland, Sunset Magazine

In the course of a garden remodel for Sherry Burke of Bainbridge Island, WA, designer Susan Calhoun (Plantswoman Design) built a wonderful vegetable-cleaning station that keeps dirt in the garden and out of the house.

It comes in two parts.

The heart of the system is a cleaning table complete with sink and cold-water supply. The sink was a freebee Sherry picked up by the road (and Kohler, no less). Susan made an opening in the tabletop for the sink and installed a rudimentary drain pipe that channels rinse water back into the garden.

Clean water comes through a self-coiling hose that's fed by a ground-level hose bib under the table. Sherry uses the shower setting on an adjustable hose nozzle for the rinse, and lets washed veggies drain in a collander before she takes them indoors for the table. When she's done, she hangs the hose hang from a hook next to the sink.

The small compost bin on the left side of the table holds the wilted leaves, split fruit, and carrot tops that inevitably come with the harvest.

The vegetable garden itself grows in galvanized stock tanks (below) that keep the crops elevated, where they're easy to plant, tend and harvest. Herbs grow in the ground around the stock tanks.

By Jim McCausland, Sunset Magazine

For 30 years I've been walking through the forest behind my house, which is a mile from Puget Sound in Western Washington. In those walks I see a second forest of invasive garden plants taking root. English laurel, English holly, English ivy, spurge laurel, European mountain ash, myrobalan plum, Himalayan blackberry, and Scotch broom are the principle offenders. I used to pull or cut as many as I could, but it's beyond my power to make much difference now: there are just too many woody weeds back there.

English holly provides a good example of an invasive run amok, so I was surprised to read on the Northwest Holly Growers Association q&a page that "While English holly (Ilex aquifolium) is non-native to North America, it is not clear that it causes any harm to the environment," and that "Holly cannot thrive in our native forests because it is shade intolerant and cannot compete in a dense forest environment."

These assurances don't square with what I see.

On the first point, "it is not clear that it causes any harm to the environment," it is clear that where holly grows, something else doesn't grow. Maybe the holly supplants a western yew, or a red-flowering currant, or a vine maple. Or maybe its shade is too dense to allow trillium or Pacific dewberry to grow underneath. But for every holly, some group of  native plants gets displaced, and I would call that "harm to the environment."

On the second point, "Holly cannot thrive in our native forests because it is shade intolerant and cannot compete in a dense forest environment," I can only say that this was clearly written by somebody who hasn't walked in my woods (see bottom photo). Holly grows perfectly well in both hardwood (maple and alder) parts of the forest, and under mixed conifers (hemlock, western red cedar, Douglas fir, Pacific yew).

After reading the same q&a page, Sunset's garden editor, Kathy Brenzel, asked me whether any other holly besides English holly was invasive. I had to say that I don't know—all I see is English holly—but I thought Fresh Dirt's eagle-eyed readers might shed light on this subject.

If you've personally seen other hollies going feral, please post your observation and your location in the comments that follow this blog.

By Johanna Silver, Sunset associate garden editor

You still have two days to make it to The Sonoma County Fair Grounds in Santa Rosa to check out The National Heirloom Exposition hosted by the folks from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. A team from Sunset was up there yesterday, and we were all blown away by the spirit of the event. It is NOT to be missed.

Here are a few shots I snapped on my phone.

Heirloom apples

Heirloom winter squash display

This guy won the giant pumpkin contest. 

A heritage rooster

By Jim McCausland, Sunset Magazine

One of the best things you can do to rejuvenate the soil in vegetable and flower beds is plant fava beans (Vicia faba) soon, after this year's annuals come out. Depending on which kind you choose, they'll grow up over winter, then can be tilled in during spring or grown out and eaten late next spring and early summer.

Small-seeded kinds (horse beans) are best for cover cropping. Planted about a month before first frost, they are hardy enough to make it through winter in climates where the soil doesn't freeze. In spring, as they put out tender new growth, you dig them into the soil, where they rot completely within a couple of weeks. They add nitrogen to the soil and increase its organic content, improving its tilth before you plant next summer's crops. It is essential to dig them in before they go to flower, usually in May. If you don't, they'll become too woody for fast decomposition.

The large-seeded kinds (broad beans) are best for eating, but they come with a warning. People (mostly of Mediterranean extraction) who have a hereditary condition called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD) can develop a condition called favism if they eat fava beans. It causes red blood cells to break down and can result in an extreme, potentially fatal form of anemia. For the rest of us, fava beans are an excellent source of vegetable protein. They mature in early summer.

Favas are unusual in a couple of ways. First, these natives of North Africa and west Asia are the only Old World beans. The others are native to the Americas. Favas are also the only frost-tolerant beans, withstanding temperatures down to about 15° F.

They grow four or five feet tall and are generally self-supporting. You only need to hold them up with stakes and string if they grow in a windy spot.

By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

On Wednesday I suggested that anyone interested in losing their lawn or sustaining it a more environmentally friendly manner check out this month's Garden Designers Roundtable where those bloggers tackled this issue along with guest contributors from the Lawn Reform Coalition.

I have been reading those posts myself since and came across this opportunity in Genevieve Schmidt's post about ways to keep your lawn but reduce its environmental impact.  

One of the ways, she says, is to revert to a mower where you supply the power.  And with the new Fiskars Momentum Reel Mower, says Schmidt, you can do that without being Hercules.  She's giving one away.  Click here to enter the contest.  Don't delay, though.  Today's the last day to enter.

But read some of the other posts on the Roundtable, too.  Great information all in one spot.

By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

Would you like more information about using native grasses in the landscape to reduce irrigation needs, prevent erosion, and enhance wildlife habit?  If so, you might be interested in the workshops the California Native Grasslands Association is holding on September 29th at Fallbrook, CA and on September 30th in Arcadia,CA.  The all-day workshop is open to both professionals and homeowners.   There is more information on the CNGA website and you can register there as well. 

Need a landscape designer but don't know any?  Monrovia can help.  The wholesale grower has added a new feature on its website to help homeowners and landscape professionals connect. 

Enter your zip code, narrow the search by choosing a style (Contemporary or Cottage, for instance) or an expertise (edibles, meadows) and a list of professionals comes up with links to their websites.  Pretty handy.  Click here for a trial run.

Wish you could visit the gardens of some of your favorite garden bloggers?  I have.  Rueben Munoz of the Rancho Reubidoux blog is high on my list.  The below photo, shot by TK, shows why.  I love the way Rueben makes arid look stylish. 

Photo by Mitchel Maher

Maher shot more of Reuben's garden and turned the results into a cool video.  Click here to take a look.

While you're on Reuben's site, read about this wonderfully shaggy living wall he saw at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes in Los Angeles.  More about it here.

By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

The Garden Designers Roundtable (a panel of professional landscape and garden designers who blog monthly on a chosen topic) are joining forces with the Lawn Reform Coalition (a group of gardening and environmental advocates promoting change in lawn use and maintenance) are joining forces today to discuss alternatives to the common lawn. 

A total of 21 bloggers from all corners of the US and from England will participate, including several from our blog roll -- Billy Goodnick of Garden Wise Guy; Ivette Soler, the Germinatrix; Susan Harris of Garden Rant, and Susan Morrison of Blue Planet Garden Blog.

Lots of opinionated people--and that's a good thing.  Should be interesting. Click here to go there now.

When you're through, come back and look through this portfolio of 21 "Lose the Lawn" projects on our website.

By Elaine Johnson, Sunset associate food editor

I had high hopes for my fish emulsion project. You may recall how I wound up with an extra 15 pounds of fresh sardines that went south, and brought them home to turn into nutritious fish emulsion for my plants. I imagined the results as big as Jack-in-the-beanstalk’s garden. Well, the fish emulsion “emulsified” all right. The problem is, I’ve been afraid to use it.

If blogs had an aroma option, you’d understand what I mean.

Now, I did dump the emulsion onto the tomatoes about a month ago, and they’ve been quite happy. Unfortunately, my kids had to avoid our trampoline (which is nearby) for 3 days afterwards, and the bucket has been sealed up ever since.

Happy tomatoes (photo taken recently), oblivious to the fragrant brew before them

So, I realized I had to buck up and get rid of this stuff. Lacking a salt mine or other nuclear waste site, I poured the liquid portion onto this spindly Meyer lemon in the driveway (fortunately, the next-door-neighbor was away).

But what to do with the solids at the bottom of the bucket (the compost and fish remains)? Ah ha, I thought, bury them in the compost!

A quick heave-ho, and my problems were over. Or so I thought.

The next day, my husband came in from the backyard.

“You’ll never guess what just happened,” he said. “I went out to the compost pile and fainted for 45 minutes. Oh, and the pitchfork stinks.”

By Johanna Silver, Sunset test garden coordinator    

Readers -- Are any of you anywhere near Salem? If so, you must, must, must go to the Minto Island Growers Farm Stand. 

You might remember Chris Jenkins and Elizabeth Miller from Sunset's April 2011 story, White-linen farms. They run an incredible organic farm in Salem, and are upping the coolness factor by about a million with their on-site food stand that includes fresh produce, U-Pick, as well as delicious meals designed and created by Elizabeth's mom, Sally. 

Location: 3394  Brown Island Rd. S.

August hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 10-5 

Check it out:

This is the view when you drive (or bike!) up.

Here's the super cute farm cart.

You'll likely be ordering your meal from Sally Miller, Elizabeth's mom, or one of their stellar interns.

Gaze at the row crops while you eat...

Sally's latest experiment (inspired by a very cold summer): Fried green tomatoes with a side of cheesy grits. YUM.

Yours truly, about to devour a Salad Niçoise that includes the farm's lettuce, beans, tomatoes, and potatoes. 

The two unstoppable (and recently engaged!!) farmers take a break to enjoy a peach milkshake. Sally's secret? Use whole peaches -- including the skins -- plus old-fashioned vanilla ice cream. 

By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

Lawn was the perfect choice to surround the pool of this Trabuco Canyon backyard designed by Orange County landscape architect, Alison Terry. 

For one thing, though the homeowners wanted a pool for exercise, they wanted it to be as low-key as possible so that it would not detract from the natural beauty of their setting.  Terry's solution was a "jewel in the rough" approach.  The clean lines of the simple rectangular pool seem twice as elegant with the contrast of a shaggy green carpet coming right up to its edges.  "Lots of hardscape would have been overwhelming," says Terry.  "This looks much softer."  A blue pool finish (Bella Blue Pebble Fina) makes the water shimmer like aquamarine.

Secondly the grass is no thirsty fescue.  It is UC Verde buffalo grass which has extremely modest water requirements.  "The same as the California natives used in this garden," says Terry.  It can be mown like a regular lawn or left alone for a more meadowy look.  (For more about UC Verde and other no-mow lawn grasses, see this post.)

A final shot of the garden, just because I love it.  All the comforts of civilization but rustic enough to remind you nature is all around you.  It's like an elegant campground.  Can I come over for a swim right now?